Dedicated to my teacher Ms Dipti Ray…

The Bhagavad Gita is basically a 700-verse Hindu scripture that is part of the epic Mahabharata. Gita is narrated in parvas (chapters) 23-40 of Book 6 of the Mahabharata, called the Bhishma Parva. The work is dated to the second half of the first millennium BCE. Gita has become relevant in India in the 21st Century because of certain political outfits which have made a serious attempt to politicise this ancient scripture. However, what is needed is to understand the messages conveyed by the Gita, sans any politicisation of the same.

The Gita has 18 chapters and 700 verses that are not meant to incite people to war. This scripture addresses the conflicts between duties and responsibilities of a person in her/his daily life. Hence, the Gita should not be considered as religious texts or a faith, but as a lifestyle guide. If water is separated from its fluidity, then water loses its basic character. Interestingly, the West has always considered the Gita not only as a spiritual book, but a way to resolve all the complex problems of life. Various reputed organisations have started looking for solutions to their business-related issues or ethical problems in the pages of the Gita. They also train their employees in the light of the Gita and its interpretations.

The words of the Gita are eternal, as the scripture contains the narration of Lord Krishna, the major deity in Hinduism and the Supreme God of protection, compassion, tenderness and love, about the war based on philosophy, ethics and logic from the battlefield. For Lord Krishna, the Battle of Kurukshetra (fought between the Kauravas and the Pandavas as recorded in the Mahabharata) was not a war, but a necessary action to eliminate evils from society.

Although experts have explained the Gita in various ways, it is important to trace the philosophical roots of this scripture. In fact, the majority of Indians respects Gita as a religious text. However, they hardly study the scripture carefully. It should be remembered that the Gita had come into being during the battle of Kurukshetra, as it is the spoken words of Lord Krishna. In other words, it is the priceless advice he imparted to Pandava Prince Arjuna for the welfare of mankind. This piece of advice does not belong to any particular sect or group, and not even limited to a particular country or a time.

The Gita is not related only to Hinduism, as people of any religion can go through this scripture and try to understand its essence. Once, Indian author, journalist, travel enthusiast, academic, scholar and linguist Syed Mujtaba Ali (September 13, 1904 – February 11, 1974) reportedly said: “A scripture like the Gita is rare in the world.” He also said that the Gita could give something to people of all ages at all times. Vietnamese revolutionary Hồ Chí Minh (May 19, 1890 – September 2, 1969), too, stressed: “I do not believe in God, but one thing I respect very much is the Gita.” Both Ali and Hồ Chí Minh used to consider the Gita as the wealth of mankind.

The Gita is a philosophical book that deals with fundamental questions about knowledge, values, existence, life, etc. Mohandas Karamchand ‘Mahatma’ Gandhi (October 2, 1869 – January 30, 1948), the Indian lawyer, anti-colonial nationalist and political ethicist who employed Nonviolent Resistance to lead the successful campaign for India’s Independence from British rule, was particularly influenced by the Gita. He used to believe that those who study the Gita minutely should find supreme joy and discover new meanings of life every day.

Some experts are of the opinion that the Gita is simply a conversation between two friends at the battlefield. They argue that such a book can never be considered as scripture, stating that Lord Krishna provoked Arjuna to fight the war and it is unethical. In fact, Lord Krishna told Arjuna: “Do whatever you want, but after thinking deeply.” (Verse (18/63) In reply, Arjuna said: “By Lord Krishna’s grace, my disillusionment is destroyed, his memory restored and all doubts removed. Now, I will carry out his orders.” (Verse 18/73) Hence, the Gita can be considered as the ultimate guide to ethics.

Western scientists and philosophers, too, have praised the Gita. It may be noted that after witnessing the first detonation of a nuclear weapon on July 16, 1945, American theoretical physicist Julius Robert Oppenheimer (April 22, 1904 – February 18, 1967) said: “Now I have become Death, the destroyer of worlds.” It is the most well-known line from the Bhagavad Gita (Verse 11/32), as well as the most misunderstood phrase. Interestingly, the father of the atomic bomb never became a Hindu in the traditional sense; neither he joined any temple nor prayed to any god. “Oppenheimer was really taken by the charm and the general wisdom of the Bhagavad Gita,” said his brother.

No one can deny the philosophical, as well as the poetic, value of the Gita. Thomas Stearns Eliot (September 26, 1888 – January 4, 1965), considered to be one of the 20th Century’s greatest poets, stressed that the Gita “is one of the two best hymns in the world“. If one considers the Gita from a larger perspective and not in the guise of religion, the person can realise that it is the best philosophy of civilisation. It is important to narrate the essence of the Gita from a secular perspective so that people, irrespective of their religion, caste, creed and colour, understand the messages of Lord Krishna in a proper manner.

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Published by Koushik Das

Koushik Das (born on May 16, 1976 in Kolkata) is a career journalist. Based in the Indian capital of New Delhi, Koushik writes mainly about foreign policies and current geopolitical issues, and rarely about other topics. His own political ideas are highly influenced by Antonio Gramsci, Louis Althusser, Michel Foucault, Michael Oakeshott and others. English philosopher and political theorist Oakeshott (Dec 11, 1901-Dec 19, 1990) says that “in political activity, men sail a boundless and bottomless sea. There is neither harbour for shelter nor floor for anchorage, neither starting-place, nor appointed destination. But we have to keep afloat”. (Rationalism in Politics, 1962) As a student of Political Science, Koushik loves to share his views on issues, which have great impacts on his thought process (and also on India, South Asia and of course on the global community), with his readers through his website – Boundless Ocean of Politics. By doing so, he tries to keep himself afloat. You will find some of his articles in https://inserbia.info/today/ (https://inserbia.info/today/author/kou_das13_i/), as he has been trying to assess the global geopolitics since 2003. You can also mail him at kousdas@gmail.com View all posts by Koushik Das